Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend’s US Open second round was certainly a fiery affair.
World number 139 Townsend won the contest, defeating 25th seed Ostapenko 7-5 6-1 on Wednesday evening.
Ostapenko launched into a rant at the net after the match, with the Latvian labelling Townsend as uneducated and ‘very disrespectful,’ claiming the American failed to apologise for a point won on a net cord during the match.
As Frances Tiafoe later said, Townsend had the last laugh by winning the match. By doing so, Townsend catapulted Ostapenko into an unwanted statistical conversation.
Jelena Ostapenko’s unwanted statistic
Ostapenko’s defeat to Townsend marked a new low for the 2017 French Open champion.
The Latvian star seems to run hot and cold more than any other player on the WTA Tour. On some days she is capable of defeating the very best, while on others, she succumbs to players ranked much lower than herself.
This sentiment was no more true than on Wednesday.
As per OptaAce, Taylor Townsend, at world number 139, has become the lowest-ranked American to defeat a Grand Slam champion in the Women’s Singles at a Grand Slam event since Kristie Ahn, who also defeated Jelena Ostapenko at the US Open in 2019.
Ahn was a wildcard at the 2019 US Open. However, this did not prevent her from defeating Ostapenko 6-3 7-5 in New York. Ahn was ranked 141 in the world at the tournament.
In fact, it was the second occasion Ahn had defeated Ostapenko that year, as she also defeated the Latvian at the Bogota Open.
Will Jelena Ostapenko win another Grand Slam singles title?
It is hard to see Jelena Ostapenko capturing another Grand Slam singles title during the remainder of her career.
Ostapenko produced a magical run to capture the 2017 French Open, but has since failed to truly kick on in the singles format.
However, in doubles, Ostapenko has established herself as a household name. The Latvian is ranked third in the world for doubles and captured her first Grand Slam doubles title at the 2024 US Open while paired with Lyudmyla Kichenok.
At the 2025 US Open, Ostapenko is partnered with Barbora Krejcikova in the Women’s Doubles. They are scheduled to play Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani in the first round on Thursday.
